Barry Haase (Kalgoorlie, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is addressed to the Minister for Defence. Would the minister update the House on recent measures to protect our northern borders from smuggling, illegal immigration and fishing?

Brendan Nelson (Bradfield, Liberal Party, Minister for Defence) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Kalgoorlie for his question. As the Acting Prime Minister said earlier in question time, this government has a very proud record on border protection. There is no more important task for the government than the protection and security of Australia and indeed of its borders.

The government’s efforts in relation to illegal people smuggling stand as testimony to the success that the government has had in that area. But as far as foreign fishing and illegal fishing are concerned, I can inform the House that in the budget recently the government committed another $389 million over the next four years for a range of initiatives. They will include a long-range helicopter capability and increased surveillance and intelligence activities; there will also be a commercial ship which will be available for the processing of apprehended vessels. There will be crematoria for the burning of apprehended vessels—foreign fishing vessels. They will also include additional processing facilities at Weipa and Gove and an expansion at Broome.

In addition to that, $96 million will be invested in bringing into operation two Huon class minehunters with rigid hull rapid inflatable vessels to move from them to apprehend foreign fishing vessels. The Australian government currently has in action Armidale patrol boats in the northern waters, supported by PC3 Orion surveillance and Customs air crews. Recently, I spent a day and a night on HMAS Bathurst, and last week the Acting Prime Minister himself visited one of our patrol boats.

There is no more important task being undertaken by the Royal Australian Navy than the protection of Australian waters, particularly from foreign fishing. The task that is being undertaken by our sailors is as important as it is dangerous. The House should be aware, for example, of what happened with HMAS Geelong some months ago. A boarding party was seeking to board a foreign fishing vessel. The crew, in seeking to board that vessel, were seriously threatened. Not only were very large, sharp spears put out from the side of the vessel as it sought to evade being apprehended, but missiles were thrown at the boarding party and one member of HMAS Geelong was left hanging on the stern of the fast-moving vessel.

On behalf of the Australian people, I thank and commend members of the Royal Australian Navy for what they are doing. I am currently looking at the graduated level of response that our naval vessels can undertake. I will inform the House of that outcome. I also welcome to the parliament the Western Australian Fishing Industry Council.